August 3rd, 2020
The Keeper's Times 

The Old Baldy Foundation Community Newsletter
Hurricane Isaias 

The Old Baldy gift shop is closed today for staff to prepare for the coming storm. Our reopening date will depend on the severity of the storm and ferry operations. Stay tuned to our Facebook page and website for announcements on reopening.

We hope everyone stays safe and does not see significant damage from the coming storm. We will see you on the other side! 

National Lighthouse Day is Friday, August 7th!
On August 7th, 1789, Congress passed an act to secure the protection of lighthouses under federal support. Today, lighthouse organizations around the nation celebrate National Lighthouse Day on August 7th to pay tribute to the important role these structures have played in maritime history.

Join the Old Baldy Foundation through the week as we both virtually and in-person honor Old Baldy! As many of our readers know, we plan a weekend full of activities to celebrate this important day every year! This year's festivities will look different, but we found a few ways to host virtual celebrations and safe open-air socially distant events! 

Check out the schedule of our National Lighthouse Day happenings below.
Wednesday, August 5th 2 pm
Facebook Live- National Lighthouse Day

Join Old Baldy Foundation’s Travis Gilbert on Wednesday, August 5 th , at 2 pm on Facebook Live for a discussion of the history and significance of National Lighthouse Day on August 7 th . Gilbert will provide insight on the meaning of the annual commemoration and a brief history of North Carolina’s lighthouses, with a special emphasis on Bald Head Island’s three lighthouses. 
Thursday, August 6th 2 pm
Facebook Live- "Meet the Keeper's" with esteemed author Kevin Duffus

Join the Old Baldy Foundation for a conversation with noted North Carolina historian Kevin Duffus on Thursday, August 6th, at 2pm on Facebook Live. Duffus, the author of  The Story of Bald Head and Cape Fear , will discuss Bald Head Island’s 1794 lighthouse in honor of National Lighthouse Day. Recently, Duffus researched the previously unknown architectural lineage of the 1794 lighthouse and authored an article on Bald Head Island’s first lighthouse keeper, Henry Long, to be published in the  Coastal Review .
Friday, August 7th 2 pm
Celebrate with North Carolina's Lighthouses!

North Carolina’s Lighthouses collaborated to present a video celebrating National Lighthouse Day on August 7 th . Tune into the lighthouses’ social media sites for the video’s release. The video highlights over two hundred years of light along North Carolina’s shores and the caretakers of the state’s silent sentinels. 
Saturday, August 8th- 2 pm
Annual Duck Race

All summer, we have been selling ducks on the Old Baldy web store for $10! Each person who bought a duck will have an entry in the race. Whoever owns the duck that crosses the finish line first will win $500!

 Adopting a duck is a delightful way to support Old Baldy while also putting yourself in the running for a cash prize!

You do not need to be present at the race to win. However, we invite all to watch the ducks race down the Bald Head Creek.
Sunday, August
9th- 12-3pm

North Carolina Market Place

Join us on Sunday afternoon to shop from a selected group of local food purveyors and artisans who will be set up on the lighthouse grounds. Take home some freshly caught seafood and local produce to enjoy in your BHI home. Enjoy shopping in the open air and a safe, socially distant environment. There is no cost to attend the event, and it is open to the public. Vendors will offer a selection of local produce, fresh fish, organic meats, treats, and other goodies!

Sunday, August 9th 6pm
Run for the Light

The Run for the Light course is a scenic run near coastal dunes and through the maritime forest on Bald Head Island, NC. The whole course features an all-asphalt surface, with splits and water at the 1-, 3- and 5-mile marks. This event is perfect to showcase some of North Carolina’s most beautiful beaches and beach cities – it will be one to mark off your bucket list! Run a 10K, 5K, or 1-mile fun and take home some excellent race swag, including a tee-shirt, headlamp, free beer, signature medal, and more!


Social Distancing but want to join the fun? Not on the island, August 9th, but want to dust off your running shoes? Join us for the race virtually. Race swag can be picked up or mailed to you! 

**If you are traveling to the Bald Head Island for the race, please be aware there are limited options for food to purchase on the island. Race snacks will be available, but please consider packing a more significant meal if needed. **

Extension on Spirit of Bald Head Contest! 

**The Old Baldy Foundation has been enjoying reviewing the entries to our spirits of Bald Head contest! We would like to announce a new deadline to enter.**

Deadline to enter- Monday, August 31st

Win a weekend stay on BHI for receiving the first prize in the group category! 






History Moment
This month's history moment was writted by Old Baldy Foundation intern studying history at UNCW, Annamaria Haden.

Thomas Franklin Boyd purchased Smith Island in 1914. Boyd is a crucial figure in 20th Century development of Bald Head Island. Boyd intended Bald Head Island, which he renamed and advertised as Palmetto Island, to be a tropical and sophisticated tourist destination. Boyd’s optimistic vision for the island’s potential included the construction of a pavilion, hotel, clubhouse, and even a trolley to connect the island with Wilmington. However, an aspect of Boyd’s ownership of Smith Island that is often overlooked is the livestock farming operations that occurred just a few years before the 1920s. In environmental history, an industry such as animal agriculture is often studied through multiple aspects such as the role of the environment, perspective and impacts on the animals, and of course, the profits made from the commodification of livestock production. 

There are numerous 20th Century primary sources, specifically local newspaper articles that discussed the livestock on Bald Head Island under Boyd. The newspaper articles have two factors in common. The newspapers both highly respect the ranching plans under Boyd and highlight just how perfect the environment of Bald Head was for farming livestock. Early 20th Century newspapers emphasized the ideal conditions that the environment of Smith Island served for livestock farming. This included examples such as the year-round feeding ground that the land offered livestock, which relates back to the consistently advertised sub-tropical climate of Palmetto Island. Another article acknowledged what many still favor about the island today: the isolation of Bald Head. For example, an issue of The Wilmington Morning Star from March, 1917, stated that Bald Head was an ideal location for cattle ranching because it was distant from the crowded centers of the state but was still conveniently close enough to the Carolina Packing House Company, which was located in Wilmington on Smith’s Creek. The article also mentioned that the environment provided a natural fence which prevented the livestock, that they specified as cattle, hogs, sheep, and goats, from escaping any substantial distance from the ranch. Other aspects from additional local newspapers included the abundant acreage that the island offered potential ranching efforts and that the island was overall well adapted for the industry. Such claims about the adaptation of the environment of Bald Head is crucial for cattle ranching because cattle are not the most adaptive animal. So, characteristics of the environment mentioned by articles such as the warm climate that offered feeding ground all year and natural enclosure from the landscape of the island are just a few of the favorable conditions for cattle. 

Evidence from primary sources of cattle ranching on Smith Island during the ownership of Boyd date back to February, 1917. It is important to note that cattle were not the only livestock on the island. Horses, sheep, goats, and of course, hogs were all mentioned throughout primary sources. A Wilmington Dispatch article from March, 1917, suggested that due to the wild hog population already present on the island, Boyd did not intend to farm hogs. However, other sources emphasize just how many hogs Boyd owned. A stock certificate from 1917 noted that hogs were the exception because they all fell under the property of Boyd. Additionally, a Wilmington Morning Star article noted that Boyd experimented with hog farming before 1917, and again, discovered the environment was well adapted for such a business. The article even mentioned specific details, Boyd had around 2,000 to 3,000 hogs and about 1,500 to sell by the end of 1917 and intended to have much more than that by 1918. As for the quantity of cattle, an article in February, 1917, noted that another carload of cattle was shipped to Smith Island. Both of these comments on Boyd operating hog and cattle farms before 1917 suggest that his experimentation with livestock farming happened only a year or two after his purchase of the island in 1914. 

It is important to note that livestock farming was another marketing tool that Boyd and Palmetto Island investors used to advertise the island even more, but this time, towards investors rather than tourists. The newspapers rarely failed to mention the profitable enterprise that the ranching operation on Bald Head caused the plot owners, investors, and stockholders of Palmetto Island. For example, one article even noted that the plot landowners of Bald Head would soon realize the value of their property once their land was put to good use with livestock farming. From a broader perspective, The Wilmington Morning Sta r acknowledged that the livestock ranching on Bald Head would contribute even more to the agricultural industry of the Cape Fear region as a whole. A region, that was again, noted as perfectly suited for agricultural pursuits. 

Somewhat predictably, livestock farming did not quite align with the high-class tourist destination that Boyd promised tourists on their visits to Palmetto Island. However, the early stages of livestock ranching during Boyd’s ownership of the island presents one of the many environmental history topics within 20th Century Development. For more information on Palmetto Island and Thomas Franklin Boyd, visit the Old Blady Subject Files at oldbaldy.org/archives .

Above picture  "Taken from  Bald Head  by David Stick"
Thank you to our 2020 Annual Sponsors!
Fitz-Hugh Family

John & Kim Gottshall
COVID-19 Operation Details

Old Baldy continues to follow the regulations of phase two in the reopening of the state. Phase two mandates that historic sites and museums must remain closed. While we are eager to reopen Old Baldy for our visitors, it is essential to follow all directives to ensure the safety of our guests and staff's safety. Phase two does allow retail stores to be open in a limited capacity, so our gift shop is operating. Please review the following details about our gift shop operations and safety protocol. 

Gift Shop Hours:
Monday- Saturday 10-4 pm
Sunday 11-4 pm

Only two shoppers allowed at one time in the shop

No cash will be accepted- only card transactions.

Face coverings will be required.

The bathroom facilities will remain closed.

Hand sanitizer will be available for all shoppers.
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